


Survivor's Perks

by Inkyrius



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Between-Games Rantaro Amami, Dark, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Game Saihara Shuichi, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-10 06:37:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15943808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkyrius/pseuds/Inkyrius
Summary: Team Danganronpa throws a party for the incoming cast each season, right before filming begins. Rantaro doesn't know why they bother. Then he meets one of his soon-to-be classmates.





	Survivor's Perks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EvilMuffins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilMuffins/gifts).



The room was full of smiling teenagers, and none of them knew what they were in for. Rantaro was sure that, if he still had those memories, it would be downright nostalgic.

Really, he wasn’t sure why they bothered throwing parties for the incoming cast. They were only going to forget it in a few days, and then they’d get to go through hell so that other people had a fleeting source of entertainment. And it wasn’t like the party was getting broadcast, because that would break the immersion.

Maybe it was a way for the staff to feel better about themselves. Sure, they were killing innocent kids, but they threw them a party first, so it was okay.

Images of the killing game flashed through Rantaro’s mind unbidden. He shuddered. There was no way to justify that.

But he’d done everything he could to keep it from happening again. He’d left that message for his future self, and no matter how else they decided to mess with his head, there was no way they could make him accept another killing game. He’d do everything he could to spare these new kids from what he’d gone through.

Assuming Team Danganronpa hadn’t been lying about the Survivor’s Perks.

His mood would likely have dropped even further if one of the newbies hadn’t chosen that moment to approach him. “You’re Rantaro Amami, right?” the boy asked.

Rantaro’s first thought was that he was cute, in a baby animal kind of way. He had the big eyes and nervous expression, though both were hard to make out past the brim of the boy’s hat. Rantaro found himself smiling to put the kid at ease. It wasn’t his fault that he’d been brainwashed to celebrate televised violence. He was just as much a victim as the rest of them. “I sure am,” he said. “And you are?”

“Oh, I’m Shuichi Saihara. Nice to meet you.” Shuichi dipped into a shallow bow. “Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I really loved you last season, and I’m excited to be on Danganronpa with you! I mean, it was so impressive how you managed to keep your cool throughout it all. And your talent was really original! I can’t believe there are still new talents after this many seasons. How’d you come up with it?”

Rantaro scratched the back of his head. He just had to keep reminding himself that it wasn’t Shuichi’s fault. Even if the kid seemed determined to talk about all of Rantaro’s most painful memories. “Ah, I’m not actually sure. Flashback Lights and all.”

“Right, of course, I’m sorry.” To his credit, Shuichi looked genuinely contrite. “I just still can’t believe I’m actually here. I’m going to be a part of Danganronpa!”

Rantaro raised an eyebrow. “Really? You know your chances of surviving aren’t very high, right?” And even if he did survive, he wouldn’t be so starry-eyed about the series, but by this point Rantaro knew there was no way to convince him of that.

“Oh, I’m not planning to survive.” Shuichi said the words so casually that Rantaro wasn’t sure he’d heard him correctly at first. “I’m planning to commit the best, most complicated murder in Danganronpa history, something that will really impress all the viewers. But everyone knows it’s less satisfying when the blackened wins, right? It’s just so anticlimactic. So I’m sure I’ll get caught. I’ve even begun planning my execution!”

Shuichi finished his speech, eyes gleaming, and looked to Rantaro for a response. Rantaro could only stare. He’d spent so long fighting for his life that the idea of planning for your death, and doing it so casually, was alien to him.

He had to admit, though, he’d been wrong about Shuichi. Despite his innocent appearance, he knew exactly what he was getting into. And there was something refreshing about his straightforwardness. Rantaro had been fighting so hard for so long, and it had all turned out to be pointless. Shuichi didn’t care about things like hope or trust. All he wanted to do was put on a good show.

And he was really cute. The apparent innocence was even more appealing now that Rantaro knew what lay behind it.

He hadn’t even realized he was debating something until he made up his mind. Before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned in and kissed Shuichi. It was chaste, just a brief peck on the lips, but it was enough to turn Shuichi’s entire face red. “Um!” Shuichi said.

Rantaro couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry, was that too far?”

“Well, no, but…” Shuichi fidgeted with his hat. “Why? I mean, you’re Rantaro Amami, the Ultimate Adventurer and a Danganronpa survivor. I’m not anybody yet.”

“And? Like I said, the chances of either of us surviving the next killing game are low. We might as well have some fun well we can.” Rantaro shrugged, hoping his explanation came across as sufficiently casual. He might be drawn to Shuichi’s open indifference to life, but the kid was still planning to commit a murder, and Rantaro wasn’t going to give him any sort of leverage over him. He was supposed to forget it all before the game started, but Rantaro didn’t trust Team Danganronpa to pass up an opportunity to screw him over yet again.

Fortunately, Shuichi seemed to buy it. “I guess so…” he said.

“Well there you go.” Rantaro grabbed Shuichi’s hand. “Come on, let’s get out of here. This party isn’t really my kind of thing anyway.”

Shuichi cast a nervous look back at the other guests. “Are you sure?”

“No one’s going to notice us leaving, and even if they do, it’s not going to matter for long.” Rantaro led Shuichi to the door, and Shuichi didn’t resist.

Rantaro didn’t have much of a plan beyond getting them outside. With the mood he was in, he could do anything from help Shuichi plan his execution to fuck him on the grass behind the studio. It would all depend on what Shuichi wanted to do.

For the first time since he’d woken up as the Ultimate Adventurer, Rantaro was happy to cede control to someone else.


End file.
